Dyslipoproteinaemia in Nigerians with the nephrotic syndrome (an increased risk for ischaemic heart disease?).

Plasma lipids and lipoproteins were measured in 24 Nigerians with the nephrotic syndrome and 29 healthy subjects. None of the patients had been commenced on treatment. Plasma total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol group (P less than 0.005). By contrast, the HDL-cholesterol to total cholesterol ratio as well as the HDL-cholesterol concentrations were found to be significantly lowered in the nephrotics than the controls (P less than 0.005). A strong correlation was observed between plasma total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol values but not between the other biochemical parameters (r = 0.98.P less than 0.01). These results, though not definitive, suggest that Nigerians with the nephrotic syndrome may represent a risk group for the development of ischaemic heart disease. Long term prospective studies in such patients are desirable to define the effect of these lipid and lipoprotein abnormalities.